


Raspberries

by Souliebird



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Battle for the Cowl, Be My Robin, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-04 20:08:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4151193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Souliebird/pseuds/Souliebird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“No,” The soft voice said into Jason's ear. “I'd watch you. Someone has to make sure you don't go off the deep end again.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Raspberries

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lazarusgreeneyes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lazarusgreeneyes/gifts).



Clink. Clink. Clink. 

Jason had grown to hate the sound of coins being dropped onto each other. At first, it hadn't been so bad, it had almost amused Jason to see Tim drop the coins he had collected into a big plastic water jug. Jason had thought it would be a one time thing, but it had kept reoccurring multiple times for over two weeks. Simply hearing the jingle of change would now make Jason grit his teeth. 

Clink. Clink. Clink.

The worst part was that Tim knew it pissed Jason off, so he dropped each coin into the container one at time. Jason's head was pounding, stress from trying to figure out a particularly stubborn case, but mostly from trying to kick his nicotine addiction for the umpteenth time. The insistent clink of change was driving him up the wall, and after thirty seconds of the noise, he snapped and spun in his chair to glare at Tim. 

“Will you stop that?” 

Tim looked up from where he was standing, bent over the jug filled with coins, and blinked innocently at Jason. The older knew there was nothing innocent about those baby blues. 

“What?” 

“Just drop them all in there at once.” He snapped. Tim canted his head, then pursed his lips.

“The neck is too small for me to do that, and, also, I couldn't count it.” He emphasized his point by dropping a dime into the jug. “That trip so far has gotten me five dollars and thirty two cents. I think another trip and it will be completely full.” 

“This is such a stupid idea.” Jason snarled, turning his angry stare to the container of coins. Every time Tim had gone out to explore the rest of their new so-called Cave, he came back with a utility belt full of coins. Jason had not noticed how many there truly were until Tim started collecting them. The younger had tried to explain it was from when their Cave had been part of the now abandoned subway system, but Jason refused to believe there were that many stray coins just laying around in the dust and dirt. 

“No, it isn't,” Jason watched as Tim took off his belt, which jostled with the promise of more of a headache for him, then sauntered over to the main terminal where Jason was working, looking smug. “I'm going to use it to spruce up the Cave. Make it actually almost habitable. Make me not dread coming down here. I have got a plan.” 

“You've got a plan?”

Tim plopped himself into Jason's lap, pushing the chair back to face the computer as he did. Jason's arms looped themselves around the the smaller man's slim waist while Tim exited out of what he had been working on, then brought up his own file. It was a shopping list. Jason leaned his chin on Tim's shoulder as he read, then wrinkled his nose.

“'Those one dollar air fresheners times at least one hundred'?” He questioned.

“Mhm, just because your nose no longer works because you've been down here for God knows how long does not mean mine doesn't. I want to keep my nose, which means covering up how bad it smells down here.”

“You made me install vents already to get rid of the smell. Do you not remember that? And how long it took?” Jason turned his head to place a kiss on the exposed skin of Tim's neck. The younger started to pull away, but Jason's grip on him tightened, so he sank back to rest against Jason's chest. 

“No, I had you install vents because the air was literally toxic with all those fumes. That is not going to help the smell of rotting flesh.”

“It does not smell like rotting flesh. And what exactly are you going to cover it with, huh? The smell of a Hawaiian Breeze? Fresh linen?” Jason teased quietly, kissing at Tim again. His headache was beginning to fade; Tim seemed to have that effect on him. Jason wanted to ask if he had developed a cologne that was actually a sedative. Being around Tim calmed and relaxed Jason in almost all situations, now that Tim had joined his side. 

Tim had agreed to be his Robin, although technically he was now Red Robin, a mantle Jason had honored him with. Tim had talked Jason into allowing Dick to be the one to take over the legacy of Batman and Jason had returned to the moniker Red Hood. Their working relationship had been so rocky at first. Jason was still angry and they fought constantly. Their styles were completely different; Tim refused to kill, and he stuck close to his mentor's morals, but Jason could see that Tim didn't fully believe them. Jason had worked at getting Tim to let go of all of Bruce's rules while Tim had hounded Jason about killing needlessly. It hadn't been their only argument, but it had been the one to almost destroy their partnership. 

They had come to the compromise of Jason killing only when in life or death situations or if Tim gave his approval of killing those Jason felt deserved to die, while Tim would self evaluate his morals and not let himself be influenced so heavily by Bruce or by Jason. 

To Jason's surprise, weeks into working together after their deal, Tim took Jason's gun from his holster and executed a man who had been pimping out his two pre-teen daughters. After getting the girls to safety, Tim had gotten violently sick, unable to believe what he had done. He had had a breakdown and Jason had needed to carry him back to their shared apartment and sit with him until Tim had stopped crying. Jason had been proud of him for pushing his limits, but he understood killing was something Tim could not do, and it hadn't been just something Bruce had drilled into him. 

Jason had kissed him that night, after seeing those wet usually cold eyes look up at him with such trust. It had been slow and awkward at first, but had quickly escalated from want to need for both of them. Since that night itt had been hard to keep his hands off Tim, though, it seemed Tim had the same troubles regarding Jason. 

“No,” Tim hummed and tilted his head away from Jason, exposing more of his neck for kisses, which Jason eagerly gave. “Raspberries. I'm going to get the raspberry ones.”

“You are not even consulting me? Just going to make it smell all fruity? What if I don't like the smell of raspberries? Hm?” Jason nipped at a scar under Tim's ear, then began to suck on it, intent on leaving a bruise behind. 

“Too bad, I'm the one paying for this and I get to decided. I like the smell, so you will just have to deal.” 

“I knew I should have made my offer to the brat first. He wouldn't be trying to turn my Cave into a parlor.” Tim laughed at the words hummed against his skin and turned in Jason's lap, straddling him. He cupped Jason's jaw with one hand and guided him up so their lips were almost touching.

“No, he'd be trying control every other aspect. And it is our Cave.” Tim mumbled before silencing any other protest about his decorating plans with a deep kiss.

~*~

“You could have said no.” Jason said with a bit more bite than he meant to as he leaned forward slightly. He felt a brief weight on his back as Tim used him as a prop to launch himself up to a higher vantage point. He heard two grunts of pain, then the tell tale sound of bodies hitting metal. He glanced over his shoulder to see a flash of red jump back into the fray of the battle. Jason hadn't even seen the men on the catwalk; he and Tim, his Red Robin, worked so well together that simply from the way Tim had been moving Jason had known he needed to get up there. They didn't need to discuss tactics anymore; almost a year of working side by side meant words were no longer necessary. 

“I could have but I think it is a good idea, to be honest.” Tim breathed into his ear, thanks to their headsets. The younger man sounded amused and Jason had to wonder if her was enjoying this giant brawl they were engaged in. They were in the process of taking down a weapons ring; one that had the idiotic idea that they could sell in Red Hood and Red Robin's territory. Before they had descended into the warehouse, Tim had leaned against Jason's side, resting a head on his shoulder, and asked if they should make a handbook for new criminals in Gotham so they wouldn't do such stupid things all the time. 

“That is why he cornered you, alone. You'll give into his madness. I would have shot him in the leg. It is almost insulting what he suggested.” Jason emphasized his point by shooting the nearest goon in the kneecap, then kicking him in the head to keep him down and out. He discharged his weapon once more before changing out the clip, smirking a little behind his helmet at the way Tim's breathing got heavier as he worked harder to keep Jason covered in the those brief seconds. 

“It is his way of coping. Humor me. Give it a try, at least?” Tim asked after Jason returned to the action, taking down a couple of guys who thought they would use their own firepower. 

“I don't care if he is coping. I want him to stay the hell away from me. You realize the last time we exchanged words face to face is when I shot that little demon child?”

“Which is why I have been acting as messenger between the two of you for months. Even if those messages are 'fuck off' and 'tell him we don't hate him'. I am tired of it. You two could at least act like adults and vent out your anger at each other by beating each other senseless. I'd get the night off. Maybe get some popcorn and watch.” Tim sucked in a breath as the last of the men dropped to the ground, then moved to zip tie the ones who weren't fully unconscious first.

“You'd just sit back and watch us pummel each other.” Jason asked as he holstered his guns. Almost as soon as he had there was a loud creak of metal, alerting them both to a shipping door in the warehouse opening. Jason shook his head with a sigh, took out his weapons again, then leapt up to the cat walk. He saw Tim mirror his movements from the corner of his eye.

“No,” The soft voice said into Jason's ear. “I'd watch you. Someone has to make sure you don't go off the deep end again.” Jason rolled his eyes at the humor in Tim's voice. Tim hadn't needed to pull him back from a fight in what felt like forever. 

Less than a dozen men stormed into the part of the building they were in. They were all heavily armed, and screaming for Jason and Tim to come out of hiding. Jason glanced up, easily spotting Tim among the rafters, and his heart tightened at the flash of teeth he saw in Tim's grin. They jumped down from the shadows at the same moment, Tim throwing a smoke bomb while Jason began shooting at kneecaps. 

Jason listened between the gunshots for the bodies as they fell, and smirked when he felt the brush of a cape hit his calves. 

When the right of thunks were heard, he spun to face Tim, twirling his gun in his hand as he did. “Okay, if I get to punch him a few times I...”

The man standing across the section from him was pale and bleeding heavily from his nose and Jason didn't even think. His arm raised of its own accord and he squeezed the trigger until his clip was empty. His gun clicked angrily at him, and Jason tossed it aside, not caring where it landed. 

“Red..?” 

Jason could barely choke out the word. He disengaged the locks of his helmet and removed it, letting it drops as his legs carried him to Tim's still form, one of two not moving among the dozens of bodies laying on the floor. His knees gave out before Jason could reach him and he crawled the rest of the way, grabbing for the first thing he could reach that belonged to the younger man. His fingers gripped tightly at Red Robin's cape as Jason knelt beside him, refusing to believe what was in front of him. There was no way this could be the truth. It had to be a joke, or an act.

It had to be.

Jason's eyes refused to focus on the small hole in Red Robin's cowl, right above his left eye, that was leaking blood. The wound, Jason knew despite how he was avoiding it, could no way account for the small sticky pool that was beginning to form under Tim's head. 

Jason reached forward, his entire arm shaking, and pushed back the black material hiding Tim's face. He sucked in harsh breath as glassy blue eyes stared out at nothingness. 

“No. No. Red.” Jason's hands dropped to his shoulders and he began to shake the smaller man harshly. “Red. Wake up. Don't do this to me. Red, wake up! Tim!” He could hear his own voice cracking as he begged Tim to wake up, to please wake up. He couldn't be dead. Jason wouldn't accept it, they had just been talking. Tim had been right behind him. He was alive less than a minute ago. 

He wasn't gone. 

He couldn't be gone. 

A small throaty chuckle came from behind Jason, making him still. An intense emotion began to gather in his belly and Jason didn't even know what it was. It went beyond anger and hurt. It just burned and raged and gave him the strength to push himself up into standing. He turned slowly and removed the gun strapped to his thigh from its holster. Jason aimed at the man who had dared to laugh when Tim couldn't and fired. His legs shook as he walked from each man he and Tim had put down and executed them, giving them all the same wound that Tim had received. He tossed the gun down when he was finished, not caring that it could be linked back to him. 

The emotion turned from burning and hurting to dark and cold. It felt nothing like the anger or rage he was used to. It felt empty, like a nothingness was taking over him. 

Jason felt nothing. 

He slowly made his way back to Tim's body, acutely aware of how his footsteps echoed throughout the warehouse. He bent and with care he had only ever shown Tim, would ever only show Tim, he gently pulled his cowl back into place. He couldn't stomach looking at blank eyes that had once held so much intensity. For them to be lifeless was just wrong. 

Jason's hands, no longer shaking, danced over Red Robin's uniform, straightening it from where it had got pulled askew during fighting and wiping away any blood smears. Jason mumbled to no one as he worked that Tim hated it when his uniform was less than pristine. 

When he finished, Jason carefully took Tim into his arms and stood. A knot quickly appeared in his throat at how limp the other man was in his arms. Jason stared down at the pale patch of skin not hidden by latex and leather, completely lost. 

They had discussed what to do if one of them was killed in action, but that was just meant to be talk, to fill Tim's desire to have everything planned down to a tee. It was never supposed to come true, never be a reality. 

Jason was never supposed to hold his dead lover in his arms. 

He leaned in rather hesitantly and pressed his lips to Tim's. They were still warm. He kissed him slowly, wishing that Tim would start to kiss him back, but after a few moments of nothing, he pulled away. 

The emotion that had started in Jason's belly now wrapped itself around his neck and shoulders, heavy and bleak. He looked around the warehouse once from where he stood before walking silently towards the exit. 

Jason knew he needed to get Tim's body back to the Cave, so that Alfred could prepare to have Tim laid to rest next to Jason's own grave. The last thought he had before his mind and body went into autopilot to do so was that Jason had never told the man he loved so much that he actually enjoyed the scent of raspberries.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of a series, so more to come.


End file.
